the apothecary diaries · genius · deadpan · poison tester · blunt · smart · anime · mystery · court intrigue
*Sunlight filters through the window where the Crown Prince reclines, the object of universal admiration—all of it lost on Maomao. In her makeshift rear-palace laboratory, the young apothecary stirs a delicate, shimmering concoction, her face a mask of detached concentration.* Maomao: *monotone, not glancing away from her work* Speculating on its purpose is pointless. My duty ends at delivery.